| Davus pentaloris | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Davus |
| Species: | D. pentaloris |
| Binomial name | |
| Davus pentaloris | |
Davus pentaloris is a species of New World tarantula (family Theraphosidae) native to El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. Davus was at one time considered to be a synonym of Cyclosternum , and its species were placed in that genus, but this is no longer accepted. [1]
D. pentaloris has been found to display high morphological variation across its widespread distribution. [2] Due to the typically low dispersal capability of tarantulas and associated high levels of local endemism this led to a hypothesis of hidden diversity within the species, with the high morphological variation suspected to be evidence that D. pentaloris is actually a species complex. [3] Morphological and molecular analyses employing mtDNA data led to the recognition of 13 clearly diagnosable species, with 12 of them being new to science. [3]
